Chester Missing 1; Steve Hofmeyer 0 - what's next?

NOVEMBER 28, 2014

Chester Missing, the puppet character of ventriloquist Conrad Koch, is obviously celebrating his court win against controversial Afrikaans musician, Steve Hofmeyr (@steve_hofmeyr), taking to his Twitter timeline (@chestermissing) to mock and comment on tweets sent by Hofmeyr and his followers.

“U can say what u think & we can nail u, racistboy,” the puppet tweeted on Friday morning after Hofmeyr had tweeted “Can't say what I think. Can't say what I see. Can't rely on court for protection. That's where I stand.” Following their legal showdown.

Court victory

The Randburg Magistrate’s Court on Thursday set aside an interim protection order obtained by Hofmeyr against Chester Missing.

“Mr Hofmeyr has exposed himself to criticism, satire, ridicule and the court is not satisfied that he should be ­ accorded the protection,” Magistrate Naren Sewnarain said.

Hofmeyr was instructed to pay for the costs of the court application at rates stipulated at magisterial level.

Dan Roodt, who is not a lawyer, had earlier this month attempted, at Hofmeyr behalf, to gag Missing for good following a Tweeter war – or twar, between the two which erupted when Hofmeyr claimed in a Tweet that "blacks were the architects of apartheid".

Koch had challenged the interim court order against him.

Outside of court

Following the court proceedings, Chester Missing asked Roodt why Hofmeyr was not in court.

“Why didn’t Steve Hofmeyr come sir … Is he scared of his own racism?” asked the puppet at which Roodt stepped up and slapped him before shoving him aside.

After screaming for help, Missing told Roodt he was violent and should consider joining the Ku Klux Klan.

Roodt said, “Hofmeyr is in Cape Town to perform at a series of concerts … and this man [pointing at Koch] is stopping those concerts.”

Missing replied, “His [Hofmeyr’s] own racism is stopping those concerts.”

“Do you hate all black people or just some of them?” Missing asked Roodt who looked irritated.

Roodt replied; “We don’t hate black people. Even if we lost the case, people are flocking to the concerts … You can defame us and insult us as you like. We are here to stay. The boere are here to stay. We are not going to leave this country. We are never going to be driven out by a vindictive ­insults nor by vicious violence that ­people like him are directing at us and focusing this hatred on us through their campaigns.”

Missing started screaming in Zulu: “Down with racism”.

Roodt walked away angrily, followed by Missing and his chanting.

Hofmeyr and controversy

Not a stranger to controversy, Hofmeyr has made several racial based utterances in the past which have made headlines and exposed his thoughts on apartheid and post racial South Africa.